


An Injury to the Heart

by Angelise (angelise7)



Category: Diagnosis Murder
Genre: Angst, Early Work, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-31
Updated: 2010-01-31
Packaged: 2017-10-06 21:21:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/57870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelise7/pseuds/Angelise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Does a kiss really make it all better?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Injury to the Heart

 

Jesse stood motionless in the shower, wishing the hot spray of water would soothe not only his aching muscles but also wash away the ache of loneliness in his heart. "It hurts so damn much," he whispered, his clenched hands pounding on the tiled wall. Lifting his face into the spray, he allowed the water to hide the tears he could not hold back. He silently cursed each tear that fell, cursed the emotions that tore at his heart. Finally, he pulled himself together and, turning off the water, stepped out of the shower.

Droplets flew in all directions as he shook his hair. Grabbing a towel, Jesse walked over to one of the full-length mirrors and performed a critical self-examination. "I’m too short," he announced to the empty physicians’ locker room. "Too short and too skinny." Looking down at his lax genitals, he measured the slender length of his cock. "Definitely not something to write home to mother about."

Securing his towel around his waist, Jesse stepped forward and critiqued his features. "Nice smile. Perfect teeth, thanks to three years in braces. And my eyes…" He brushed a hand over his reflective image. "… they’re a cool shade of blue." Shaking his head, he frowned. "Who am I kidding? Put glasses on me and I look like a total geek."

The young physician sighed and rested his forehead against the damp surface of the mirror. "Even if Steve was interested in playing on my side of the street, he’d never waste his time on the likes of me." Jesse stepped back and ran his hand through his blonde hair. "Why would he? I’m nothing special."

Dismissing his disappointing image, he twisted around and walked over to his locker. Opening the metal door, he pushed aside several hanging shirts and gazed at the picture taped to the back wall. The photograph was of Detective Steve Sloan, his best friend. Jesse touched the image of the man’s face, his fingers lingering over Steve’s smiling lips. "I could have loved you so good. You just don’t know."

With a deep sigh, Jesse finished drying off, his gaze focused on the picture in his locker. Closing his eyes, he admonished himself, "Get a life, Jesse Travis. Steve’s not gay and will never be interested in you. Move on." He tossed his towel in the soiled linen hamper before grabbing clean clothes from his gym bag. Hearing voices approach, he scrambled to hide Steve’s picture. Certain his secret was shielded from curious eyes, he quickly dressed, pausing only to wave a hand at the two interns entering the room.

Tucking the hem of his white t-shirt into the waistband of his blue jeans, Jesse elbowed his locker shut. He then balled up his blood-stained lab coat and stuffed it into his gym bag. With a last glance around, he headed toward the exit. "Might as well go home. I doubt Prince Charming is going to show up at this late hour."

Mentally cataloguing the scarce remains of leftover food in his fridge, Jesse nearly collided with Dr. Mark Sloan, the older man having just rushed into the doctors’ lounge.

"There you are. I was afraid you had already left for the day." Mark grabbed Jesse’s arm and tugged him out into the hallway. "Steve’s down in the ER yelling for you." The doctor held up a hand, halting Jesse’s questions. "Nothing serious, just a few cuts and bruises. The problem is… MacCallum is on duty and Steve won’t let the man touch him. Says he doesn’t like the way he looks at him."

Jesse frowned at Mark. "The _way_ he looks at him?"

"Yes. Steve swears the man is… what’s the term? Making a move on him?" Mark winked at Jesse. "And since we both know my son’s got his eye on someone else, I thought it would make Steve more comfortable if MacCallum didn’t work on him."

Jesse missed Mark’s wink, his mind grappling with the news that Steve was, once again, hot on the trail of another female. His thoughts then immediately switched to the fact that his friend was unhappy with the openly gay ER attending physician. _Would Steve yell for someone else to treat his injuries if he knew I was just as gay and just as interested in him as MacCallum is?_

Mark’s fingers snapped several times in front of his face and Jesse refocused his wandering attention. "Did you say something?"

The white haired man smiled. "Steve’s waiting for you in Exam Room C. Let him know I’ll be back to check on him as soon as I finish rounds."

"Sure, no problem. I’ll tell him." Jesse watched Mark disappear down the hallway before turning to head in the direction of the ER. Stashing his gym bag under the counter of the nurses’ station, he snagged Steve’s chart and made his way to the room his friend had been brought to. After taking a calming breath, he opened the door and stepped inside. "Another run-in with the bad guys, partner? Steve, you’ve got to be more.…"

Jesse stopped talking abruptly, his words stalled as his breath caught in his throat. Stumbling back a step, he closed his eyes and shook his head. _Not fair, God. This is not fair_. Quietly closing the door, he spared a look toward heaven. _How could you be so cruel? Do you enjoy tempting me with the one thing I want so very much and yet cannot have?_

Struggling to control his emotions, Jesse hugged the chart he was holding to his chest. The man that haunted the dreams of his night and filled the thoughts of his day sat before him, totally unaware of how disturbing his shirtless form was. Watching the play of muscles across Steve’s lower back, Jesse lifted his hand, the need to trail a finger along the waistband of Steve’s pants nearly too much to resist. A groan from Steve and he snatched his hand back, staring at the offending member in disbelief. _He’s not yours to touch. Not now, not ever_.

Another groan and Jesse found himself face to face with Steve, the detective having twisted around in search of him.

"Thank goodness Dad found ya, Jess. The last time I was here, MacCallum really gave me a hard time… almost like he was coming on to me." Steve shuddered. "He just really made me feel uncomfortable and I would prefer not having him treat me."

The detective reached out and placed his hand on Jesse’s arm. "I appreciate you doing this, Jess." With a nod of his head, he indicated the younger man’s state of dress. "They told me you were finished for the day. I hope I didn’t ruin any plans you might have had."

Dropping the chart he held on the exam table, Jesse stared at Steve's hand, wishing for more than just a friendly pat on the arm. "It’s no problem, Steve. I didn’t have any plans."

Steve tightened his grip and pulled his friend closer. "You sure? I can put up with MacCallum if you have a special lady waiting for you."

Jesse inhaled deeply and fought against the urge to close the space between himself and Steve. "A lady? The only lady I’ve got plans with is Sarah Lee." He smiled faintly as he explained. "There’s a half-eaten Sarah Lee cheesecake in the fridge and I plan to finish it off tonight while watching TV."

Steve shook his head and tsk’d out loud. "I was positive you had a new lady in your life. The way you’ve been working out at the gym and going straight home after your shift at the restaurant… I just thought…." He brushed his free hand across the front of Jesse’s t-shirt. "You’re really looking good, Jess. Sure you don’t have a woman tucked away somewhere?"

"You think I look good?" Jesse stared at the detective, his gaze captured by Steve’s blue eyes.

Steve smiled. "Ask any woman in this ER and I’m sure they’ll agree with me." He ran his hand across his friend’s firm chest. "Yep. You are _definitely_ looking good, Jesse."

"Can you give me just a second, Steve? I need to borrow a stethoscope." Jesse pulled free of the detective’s grasp and nearly ran out of the exam room. Slipping next door into the deserted linen closet, he collapsed against the wall, dragging in one deep breath after another. Ignoring the fire in his groin, Jesse concentrated on bringing his emotions under control.

"One touch from Steve and I’m acting like a horny teenager. Shit!" Covering his face with his hands, Jesse groaned, the sound low and agonized. "How pathetic can I get?" Slamming his fist against the wall, he welcomed the pain radiating up his arm, a temporary diversion from the pain in his heart. "This is ridiculous. I’m a doctor; he’s my patient. Treat him and then get the hell out of here."

Taking one last deep breath, Jesse walked back into the exam room. "Sorry about that."

"Where’s the stethoscope," Steve asked. "Did _someone_ distract you?"

Jesse offered a tight smile. "You could say that." Pulling a small treatment tray toward him, he bent to the task of dealing with Steve’s various wounds. Silence reigned until he moved to examine the detective’s back. "Damn, Steve! You are definitely going to be one sore puppy in the morning." He ran his hand over the large patch of discolored skin on his friend’s left shoulder. Without conscious thought to his actions, he leaned down and gently kissed the bruised flesh, his fingers caressing the area his mouth worshipped.

"What the hell?" Steve twisted around and stared at him.

Jesse jerked back, a horrified sound of disbelief strangling in his throat. "Fuck!" Dropping the bottle of alcohol he had been holding, he stumbled towards the door, his terrified gaze glued to the look of shock on Steve’s face. "I’m sorry. I’m so sorry." Repeating those words over and over, he ran for the stairwell that led to the underground parking garage. He tripped as he slammed through the door and went tumbling down the first several steps. At the sound of Steve’s approaching voice, he scrambled to his feet and took refuge in the shadowy alcove between the two sections of stairs. Wedging himself into the darkest part of the concrete enclosure, he closed his eyes and held his breath.

"Come on, Jesse. I know you're in here. Jesse? Answer me!"

Unwilling to face the detective’s wrath, Jesse curled even tighter upon himself. _I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, _he continued to whisper to himself.

"Sloan!"

MacCallum’s voice startled Jesse.

"What’s this I hear about you refusing to allow me to treat you in the ER?"

"Back off, MacCallum. You’re not my type. And unless you want me to report you to your superior, I’d suggest you don’t touch me again. Now… if you don’t mind, I’m on the hunt for someone."

Jesse’s eyes flew open. _Shit! _The moment Steve and the ER physician exited the stairwell, he was out of his hiding place and flying down the stairs, taking two and three steps at a time. He hit the parking garage at a dead run.

"If the traffic’s not bad, I can make it to my place, grab a bag and be gone in thirty minutes. Wonder if Amanda would like some company this weekend?" Jesse threw his car into gear and peeled out of the doctor’s parking area, completely unaware of the man waving his arms and limping after him.

+++++++

"Okay. Got my toothbrush and a change of clothes." Jesse checked the contents of his overnight bag. "Thank God, I’ve got this weekend off." He patted the pockets of his blue jeans. "Keys, wallet, cellphone… I think that’s all." Looking at his watch, he grimaced. "Time to get the hell out of Dodge."

The shrill ring of his kitchen phone shattered the apartment’s quiet interior and Jesse nearly jumped out of his skin. His heart kicked into overdrive when he heard the answering machine click on, spilling Steve’s voice into the silence.

"I know you’re there, Jesse. Pick up the phone."

Jesse froze, his eyes flickering back and forth, checking the shadows of the room.

"Jesse!"

The anger in Steve’s voice galvanized him into action. He grabbed up his overnight bag and ran for the door. Jerking it open, he barreled head first into Steve, causing the detective to drop his cellphone. "Oh God! I’m so sorry." He fell to his hands and knees and attempted to collect the pieces of his soon to be ex-friend’s broken phone.

"Please forgive me, Steve. I don’t know what made me do it." Jesse fumbled with the pieces that were scattered across the concrete stoop. "I didn’t mean to do it, really. I know you don’t like men, Steve. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. Don’t hate me. I’ll do anything to take back…." Jesse cringed and ducked his head when he felt Steve grip his arms and haul him upright. His voice grew strident and he tried once again to apologize. "I truly am sorry, Steve. I swear I’ll never touch you again. If I do, you can…."

"Shut up, Jesse, and kiss me."

Jesse’s eyes and mouth flew wide open. Before he could breathe or utter a word, his lips were captured by Steve’s and fiercely kissed. Several seconds passed before the detective drew back and smiled at him.

"Steve?" Jesse shook his head. "I’m dead, right? No way in hell did you just kiss me. I must be dead… that’s the only explanation. I mean… you couldn’t have…." He looked up, a startled expression on his face at the touch of Steve’s hand tangling in his hair. Without a word of protest, he allowed the older man to pull him closer.

"You talk too much, Jess. Just shut up and kiss me again."

The sound of his apartment door being kicked open and closed hardly registered with Jesse; he was too busy concentrating on the vision of Steve lowering his mouth to kiss him once more. His body willingly followed the detective as they stumbled their way to the living room couch. The brief kiss ended and Jesse stared disbelievingly at the man encouraging him to straddle his lower body.

"I truly have died. Is this heaven?" Jesse sighed as Steve gathered him close and nuzzled his neck, nipping a path to the sensitive area behind his ear.

"What do you think, Jesse? Does this feel like hell?" The detective tugged Jesse’s t-shirt free of his jeans and slid his hands underneath.

A radiant smile broke across Jesse’s face as his body arched into the hands exploring him. "Gotta be heaven. Most definitely. Can I stay here forever?" Whispered words caused him to lose his breath as his mouth was cherished with another kiss.

"Forever, Jess. Forever."

The end

 


	2. Kiss of Enlightenment

 

With a pitiful groan, Steve hauled his aching body out of his squad car and stumbled toward the ER entrance.  “I’m too old for this shit,” he muttered under his breath as he searched the familiar faces of the ER.  “I just don’t understand why the criminals keep getting younger and not older?”  Catching the attention of one of the nurses, he asked, “Is Jesse still around?”   

“You just missed him.  His shift ended about thirty minutes ago.”  

“Just my luck.”  Steve limped to the nearest empty chair and, pulling out his cellphone, entered the number of his father’s pager.  The sound of someone calling his name made him jerk his head around too quickly and the muscles of his neck protested.  “Shit!  MacCallum’s here.”  Ignoring the pain, he vacated his seat and hurried down the hallway, taking refuge in one of the empty ER exam rooms.  

Barely cracking the door open, Steve scanned the hallway.  He slammed the door shut at the sight of the gay doctor striding toward him.  “Fuck!”  He searched the room for a hiding space and, spying a second door, crammed his large frame inside what turned out to be a claustrophobically small storage closet.  His cellphone rang just as he was forcing the door closed.  Groaning, he struggled to free it from the front pocket of his jeans.  “Please be Dad.  Please be Dad,” he whispered as he raised the phone to his ear.  “Sloan here.” 

_“Steve?  You paged me?”  _ 

“Dad!  I need you.  Need you to find Jesse.”  Steve attempted to turn around and accidentally smashed his elbow against a shelf.  “Shit!” 

_“Steve?  Is something wrong?”_ 

“Dad, can you find Jesse?  I’m down in the ER, in Exam Room C and I’ve got some cuts and scrapes that need looking after.”  He rubbed his sore elbow with his free hand.  “Nothing serious.” _Nothing a little patented Jesse TLC can’t handle._ 

_“I think Jesse’s gone.  Why don’t you let whoever’s working take a look at you and I’ll be there as soon as I finish rounds.”_ 

Steve gritted his teeth.  “MacCallum’s here, Dad.  And you know how I feel about him.”  He placed his ear against the door and listened.  Hearing only silence, he eased the door open and quickly checked the room.  Finding it empty, he stepped out of his hiding place and took a seat on the exam table.

 “Besides you, Jesse’s the only doctor I want touching me.  The only man I want….”  Steve’s words trailed off.  “Find Jesse for me, Dad.  Please.”  Steve carded his fingers through his hair and cringed at the memory of MacCallum accosting him the last time he was here.  

_“I’m heading toward the doctors’ lounge.  He usually stops there before going home.  Umm… Steve?” _

 Steve pulled off his shirt and hissed as the fabric scraped over the abrasions on his back.  “Yeah?” 

_“When are you going to tell Jesse how you feel about him?”_ 

Steve carded his hand through his hair.  “When?  How ‘bout when the cow jumps over the moon?”  The younger Sloan sighed.  “I’m sorry, Dad.  But you and I both know Jesse’s not gay.  Hell, he’s dated almost every nurse in this hospital.”  He grimaced as memories of Jesse’s countless romances bombarded his mind, each one a fresh stab of pain to his lonely heart.   “If there was the slightest chance Jesse felt the same way I did, I would be jumping his bones in five seconds flat.” 

_“Son, that’s a little bit more information than I need to know.”_ 

Steve chuckled, imaging his parent’s blushing visage.  “Sorry, Dad.  It’s been a long time since I’ve had any….”   

_“STEVE!”  _ 

This time it was the detective’s turn to blush.  “Handcuffing my lips now.”  Steve couldn’t help but smile at the sound of his father’s loud and boisterous laughter.   

_“I’m almost to the doctors’ lounge, Steve.  I’ll call you right back.”_ 

Steve clicked off his phone and rubbed his eyes with his fists.  “Be there, Jessman.  Be there.”  Unable to remain still, he slid off the exam table and moved toward the door.  Cautiously, he opened it and glanced up and down the hall, letting out a sigh of relief once he verified the coast was clear.  Closing the door, Steve answered his ringing cellphone.  “Dad?” 

_“He’s on his way, Son.” _ 

Steve closed his eyes in appreciation.  “Thanks.” 

_“Would it be wrong for me to say… hope you get lucky?”_ 

Steve’s eyes snapped open.  “DAD!” 

_“I was young once.  See you shortly.”_ 

Steve pocketed his phone and waited expectantly for his friend to show up.  He shook his head.  _Friend_.  Why did that word leave a sour taste in his mouth? 

His subconscious was quick to reply.  _Because you want Jesse to be more than a friend.  You want him to be your lover, your mate… the man who will love you for the rest of your life_.

“Yeah.  And pigs fly.”  Steve hoisted himself back on the table and groaned.  “One more time… I’m too old for this shit.  Too old to run after crooks and too old to pine after someone who will never, in a million years, warm my bed.”  Closing his eyes once more, he ran his hand over his bare chest and imagined another hand touching his body, making him burn with a hunger that could only be quenched by one Dr. Jesse Travis. 

Moving his hand lower, Steve adjusted himself.  “Dammit!  Why did I have to fall in love with the doc who doesn’t make house calls on my side of town?” 

The door opened suddenly and Steve jerked his hand away from his groin as Jesse entered the room.   

“Another run-in with the bad guys, partner?  Steve, you’ve got to be more….”   

Steve tightly clenched his hands in an attempt to control his traitorous body, the need to jump off the table and grab Jesse in his arms nearly overwhelming him.  Gripping the edge of the exam table, he focused his concentration on Jesse and discovered the young physician had gone silent.  Ignoring the pain of sorely abused muscles, he twisted around and grinned.  

“Thank goodness Dad found ya, Jess.  The last time I was here, MacCallum really gave me a hard time… almost like he was coming onto me.”  Steve shuddered at the thought of someone other than Jesse touching his body.  His mind and heart wanted Jesse and only Jesse.  “He just really made me feel uncomfortable and I would prefer not having him treat me.”  

Steve reached out and placed his hand on Jesse’s arm.  “I appreciate you doing this, Jess.”  With a nod of his head, he indicated the younger man’s state of dress.  “They told me you were finished for the day.  I hope I didn’t ruin any plans you might have had.”  _In fact, if you don’t have any plans, what about you coming home with me and I’ll read you your rights.  You have the right to be loved and kissed and hugged and cuddled and…._

“It’s no problem, Steve.  I didn’t have any plans.” 

The sound of Jesse’s voice startled Steve and he struggled to remember what it was he was talking to Jesse about.  Tightening his grip, he pulled Jesse closer, wishing he had the right to pull the younger man into his arms and kiss him.  “You sure, Jess?  I can put up with MacCallum if you have a special lady waiting for you.”   

Jesse took a deep breath before answering.  “A lady?  The only lady I’ve got plans with is Sarah Lee.” 

_Sarah Lee?  Who the hell is Sarah Lee?_  Steve gave his friend a quizzical look. 

“There’s a half-eaten Sarah Lee cheesecake in the fridge and I plan to finish it off tonight while watching TV, Jesse explained.”   

_Thank you, God.  I can deal with a cheesecake.  In fact, I wouldn’t mind __eat__ing a piece of that cheesecake right off your…._. 

Steve shook his head and tsk’d out loud, more so at himself than at Jesse.  “I was positive you had a new lady in your life.  The way you’ve been working out at the gym and going straight home after your shift at the restaurant… I just thought….”  He brushed his free hand across the front of Jesse’s t-shirt.  “You’re really looking good, Jess.  Sure you don’t have a woman tucked away somewhere?” 

“You think I look good?”  

Reveling in the simple contact, Steve smiled.  “Ask any woman in this ER and I’m sure they’ll agree with me.”  Unable to resist, he once again ran his hand lightly over his friend’s firm chest.  “Yep.  You are _definitely_ looking good, Jesse.” 

“Can you give me just a second, Steve?  I need to borrow a stethoscope.”   

A sigh of disappointment escaped the detective’s lips when Jesse pulled away and left the room.  “Dammit, Sloan.  Keep your hands to yourself,” he admonished himself.   

A sudden tingling in his fingers had him examining the hand that had been stroking Jesse’s chest.  After a second, he brushed it across his chest, mimicking how he had touched Jesse.  He groaned as his body reacted instinctively.  “What I wouldn’t give to have you touching me for real, Jessman.” 

The opening of the door had Steve grabbing for his discarded shirt and spreading it over his lap to hide the evidence of his arousal.  Glancing up, he found Jesse standing in front of him, offering him an apology.  

“Sorry about that.”   

Steve noticed the flushed look on Jesse’s face.  “Where’s the stethoscope?  Did _someone_ distract you?” 

“You could say that.”  Jesse pulled a small instrument tray toward him. 

Steve watched silently as the blond physician treated his wounds, each brush of Jesse’s fingers stirring the hunger inside him.  He closed his eyes in agony and surrendered to the haunting image of those same fingers teasing over his hard, throbbing erection.  Lost in the fantasy of being loved by the man who had claimed his heart, he was caught completely by surprise by the touch of Jesse’s lips and fingers caressing his injured shoulder.  

“What the hell?”  Steve twisted around and stared in amazement at the man standing behind him.  Was his mind playing tricks on him?  Did Jesse actually press a kiss to his shoulder? 

Before he could question his friend, Jesse dropped the bottle he was holding and sprinted for the door, repeating the words _‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry’_ over and over.  Steve slipped off the exam table and cursed as his sore right knee took the full brunt of his weight.  Gritting his teeth, he slipped his shirt on and rushed toward the door.  Unfortunately his feet came in contact with the spilled liquid from the bottle Jesse had dropped and he went down with a loud grunt.   

“Jesse!”  Steve pushed himself to his feet.  “Jesse!  Come back!”  He stumbled into the hallway and instantly noted the door to the exit stairwell swinging shut.  He moved through it quickly and leaned over the railing.  “Come on, Jesse.  I know you're in here.  Jesse?  Answer me!”  

Steve held his breath and listened, trying his best to locate the physician.  He refused to allow Jesse to escape, not after what had just happened.  The imprint of Jesse’s lips on his skin still burned and Steve had to know why the young man had kissed him.  Had to know if that kiss was an indication of something more than just friendship.   

“Sloan!” 

Steve cursed under his breath at the sound of MacCallum’s voice.  He ignored the ER physician and started down the stairs.   

“What’s this I hear about you refusing to allow me to treat you in the ER?”  MacCallum reached out and gripped the detective’s arm. 

Silencing his growl of displeasure, Steve glared at the man.  “Back off, MacCallum.  You’re not my type.”  Jerking his arm free, he warned, “And unless you want me to report you to your superior, I’d suggest you don’t touch me again.  Now… if you don’t mind, I’m on the hunt for someone.”

No longer able to ignore the pain in his knee, Steve gave up on pursuing Jesse down the stairs.  He shoved past MacCallum and raced as fast as possible to the ER exit.  Jesse’s convertible sped past him just as he pushed through the automatic doors.  Yelling Jesse’s name, he waved his arms and hobbled after the departing vehicle.   

After a few feet, he staggered to a halt and braced his hands on his knees, his lungs struggling for oxygen.  “Come on, Jesse.  Don’t run.”  

+++++++ 

Steve stood in front of Jesse’s apartment and took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart.  Doubts assaulted his mind, slamming themselves against the truths he had clung to for so long.  In fact, as he was dragging his cellphone out of his pocket, he felt anger start to simmer just underneath the surface. 

If that simple kiss was the evidence of Jesse’s feelings for him, then why in the hell had Jesse waited so long?  Just thinking of the time the two of them had possibly wasted, Steve allowed his anger to spill over into his voice as he shouted into his phone.  “I know you’re there, Jesse.  Pick up the phone.”  Lifting his hand to pound on the front door, he yelled, “Jesse!”  Before his fist came in contact with the door, he found his arms filled with Jesse’s slender form.  The scared physician had come barreling out of his apartment and ran straight into him, causing him to drop his cellphone.   

Steve’s anger completely dissipated as he listened to Jesse’s heartfelt apologies.  He tried several times to interrupt the guilty confession but Jesse ignored him and knelt at his feet in order to pick up the broken pieces of the dropped cellphone.  Finally Steve leaned down and lifted Jesse to his feet.  Gathering his courage, he simply said, “Shut up, Jesse, and kiss me.” 

Afraid Jesse would protest, Steve swooped in and kissed him long and hard, moaning as he finally filled his heart and soul with the sweet taste of Jesse Travis.  Ending the kiss slowly, he grinned at the stupefied look on Jesse’s face.   

“Steve?”  Jesse shook his head.  “I’m dead, right?  No way in hell did you just kiss me.  I must be dead… that’s the only explanation.  I mean… you couldn’t have….” 

Steve slid his hands into Jesse’s hair, enjoying for the first time the silky feel of the blond strands as they tangled around his fingers.  He pulled the smaller man closer, fitting Jesse snuggly against him.  “You talk too much, Jess,” he softly admonished.  “Just shut up and kiss me again.” 

Steve licked his tongue across Jesse’s bottom lip, tugging it into his mouth and teasing it with his tongue.  So caught up in the gentle mating of their mouths, he was at a loss to remember how he and Jesse had moved from the front door to the living room couch.  A contented sigh welcomed the weight of Jesse’s body as it settled against him, the physician straddling him and wrapping his arms around his neck.  

Jesse hid his face and whispered, “I truly have died.  Is this heaven?”   

Steve gathered him closer and nuzzled his neck, nipping a path to the sensitive area behind his ear.  “What do you think, Jesse?  Does this feel like hell?”  He tugged the blonde’s t-shirt free of his jeans and slid his hands underneath, raking his nails across Jesse’s nipples repeatedly until they were hard peaks.   

Smiling, Jesse arched into his touch.  “Gotta be heaven.  Most definitely.  Can I stay here forever?”  

Steve caught Jesse’s whispered words a second before the man softly kissed him.  “Forever, Jess.  Forever.”   

The end

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